FanPost

Buccaneers 2015 Free Agency Primer

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Editor's note: Terrific fanpost and free agency primer by Buc It. Enjoy!

In the beginning of every NFL season, we have Free Agency, the NFL Draft, and then training camps for all of the teams. On March 7th, teams are able to talk to free agents and their respected agent to discuss about possibly joining their club. With only a few days left until players start to sign, fans assume which players are better than others and they want the players they like or feel like will help this team. Instead of assuming, I decided to buy a ProFootballFocus subscription and dive into all of the numbers they provide for the free agents on 2015.

As a base, I decided only to use the years from 2010 to 2014. Most free agents this year were drafted in 2010 and that’s why I used it as a base. With 5 years of records, many players had enough data to provide good quality data. I also only used players data when they played 25% of their teams snaps that year. With over 2800 players drafted in the last 10 years, it is a nice way to get rid of insignificant data.. That being said, ProFootballFocus does not group its data for free agents. So after 14 hours of digging through data, I finally was able to get all of it for this article. I hope ya’ll enjoy!

Quarterback

In 2014, we had a terrible season with Josh McCown as our QB. Personally, I was jumping for joy when the Buccaneers did release him. His contract was too big and he was a terrible game manager. That being said, Mike Glennon is just an average quarterback according to PFF. For the 2015 quarterback free agents, they aren’t much better than Glennon.

When combining all of the data, Matt Moore had the best statistical stats for just passing. But he also only had one season that qualified for the data. So as Buccaneers fan know too well, with McCown, Michael Clayton, and Doug Martin, one season means nothing over a career. But when considering all of the numbers, the best quarterback is Michael Vick. He has started many seasons, has the experience playing in the league, and can run if needed. If his past off the field issues worry you, Tarvaris Jackson or Shaun Hill would provide decent as a back-up.

Overall Pass Run Penalty Comp % Yds / Att. TD INT Sacked DP Season
Mike Glennon -3.60 -1.60 -0.55 -1.45 58.50 6.65 14.50 7.50 28.00 15.00
Josh McCown -6.30 -6.87 0.70 -0.13 60.40 7.00 11.33 8.67 20.33 13.33
Matt Moore 12.30 15.30 -3.80 0.80 60.50 7.20 16.00 9.00 35.00 26.00 1.00
Michael Vick 4.50 1.18 4.38 -1.05 58.78 7.80 14.00 8.25 24.75 20.75 4.00
Tarvaris Jackson 2.10 5.50 -3.50 0.10 60.20 6.90 14.00 13.00 42.00 30.00 1.00
Shaun Hill 1.25 0.45 0.95 -0.15 62.55 6.85 12.00 9.50 17.50 24.00 2.00

Running Back

Although many of us feel that running back is not a priority or need in this offseason, I wanted to take a look at it. You never know if the next Emmitt Smith just hit Free Agency the night before it started. While diving into the numbers, I noticed that our own running backs are not as good as they seem. Bobby Rainey can run the ball well but has issues with fumbling and pass blocking. Doug Martin has the same issues but without fumbling concerns. And well, the Charles Sims experiment looks like a disaster after one season.

With that said, there are two running backs that I feel fit the profile that Lovie Smith wants in a running back. They are Pierre Thomas and Ahmad Bradshaw. They both can run the ball well and are decent pass catchers. Each has been a reliable running back for the teams that they have played on. The only issue I see is with Ahmad Bradshaw and fumbling the ball. He averages 3 fumbles a season which is worse than Bobby Rainey.

Running Receiving
Overall Pass Run Block Pen. Avg. YCo / Att. TD Missed Fumble % Ct Yds / Rec. YAC / Rec. Drops Season
Doug Martin -2.10 0.27 1.43 -3.27 -0.53 3.97 2.53 4.67 24.00 0.67 65.80 6.67 6.43 3.67
Bobby Rainey -2.80 -0.75 0.80 -2.85 0.00 4.10 2.45 3.00 18.50 1.00 81.60 6.00 6.05 1.50
Pierre Thomas 12.08 5.98 5.63 0.98 -0.50 4.58 2.53 2.50 17.00 0.25 90.38 8.18 9.35 1.75 4.00
DeMarco Murray 9.40 0.38 8.78 0.10 0.15 4.88 2.68 7.00 36.75 2.00 85.18 7.03 8.13 3.00 4.00
Ahmad Bradshaw 8.63 1.78 2.63 4.68 -0.45 4.43 2.73 6.25 26.75 3.25 84.48 8.30 9.58 3.50 4.00
C.J. Spiller 5.40 2.35 4.30 -0.80 -0.45 5.00 2.85 3.00 25.75 2.50 81.15 7.43 8.03 2.00 4.00

Wide Receiver

This position was the glowing light at the end of the tunnel for us this past season. Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans performed admirably with Josh McCown and Mike Glennon at Quarterback. The only position we might need to upgrade is our slot position due to Louis Murphy coming off an injury plagued season.

In terms of free agents, we have a few quality wide receivers to be chosen. Some of them are Randall Cobb, Wes Welker, and Indianapolis Colts star wide receiver Reggie Wayne. But none of them I would want as a slot receiver. Each one has issues with him, Cobb with a big contract, Welker and his concussions, and Wayne with injuries. My personal favorite would have to be Lance Moore, who was just released by the Pittsburg Steelers. He would be cheap, can catch the ball, and as we all know, can play the slot position very well.

Overall Pass Run Block Pen. % Ct Yds / Rec. YAC / Rec. TD INT Drops Missed Fumble Season
Mike Evans 10.20 9.30 0.00 1.40 -0.50 58.60 15.50 2.40 12.00 6.00 4.00 7.00 0.00
Vincent Jackson 9.47 6.63 0.41 3.01 -0.59 55.54 16.94 3.60 6.43 5.57 6.14 6.00 0.43
Louis Murphy -8.60 -8.55 -0.08 1.68 -1.65 49.10 13.98 4.23 2.25 2.75 4.50 3.00 1.00
Randall Cobb 6.80 5.73 0.20 0.45 0.43 77.33 13.75 6.50 6.25 1.50 6.00 11.25 0.25 4
Wes Welker 6.10 2.98 0.16 2.24 0.72 71.96 10.90 5.02 6.80 2.00 10.60 6.80 0.40 5
Reggie Wayne 5.16 3.04 -0.04 1.46 0.70 62.12 12.64 4.00 3.80 5.00 6.80 4.60 0.60 5
Lance Moore 4.80 3.65 0.00 0.50 0.65 70.03 13.03 2.83 6.00 2.00 4.00 1.00 0.25 4

Tight End

With a lot of our positions with average players, tight end is full of questions. ASJ is coming off an injury plagued season where he also started late with the playbook due to NCAA rules. Luke Stocker is currently a free agent and Brandon Myers took less money to be our back-up Tight End. I don’t believe we will be looking at this position this offseason, but let’s see how the field is if Jason Litch decides to look for an upgrade.

I don’t feel we would be looking to upgrade ASJ but I do feel we should upgrade Myers. He has been terrible at run blocking through his career. I doubt we will run many two tight end set so we would need someone who would be cheap too. That being said, Matt Spaeth and Bear Pascoe are both quality run blockers who might be cheap. Also, Pascoe played with Lovie Smith in 2011 and 2012.

Overall Pass Pass Block Run Block Penalty % Ct Yds / Rec. YAC / Rec. TD Seasons
Brandon Myers -7.03 -1.80 -1.28 -5.20 1.25 71.75 9.83 3.78 2.00
Matt Spaeth 5.60 -1.23 -0.73 7.55 0.00 65.43 9.00 3.90 1.25 4
Bear Pascoe 3.70 -1.60 -0.05 5.95 -0.60 72.25 8.70 6.00 0.00 2

Tackle

Many of us wonder what is going to happen to our offensive tackle position since Anthony Collins was a bust after we signed him in the 2014 Free Agency. Demar Dotson has been a spectacular find and has solidified the right tackle position for the past few years. We decided to test him at left tackle late last season and that brings us to the question. Did he perform well enough to be our starting left tackle?

If Dotson did perform well enough, RT Eric Winston and Orlando Franklin would be our best bet. Over the past four seasons, they averaged out to be two of the best right tackles in the league that are now free agents. Last year was a statistical blimp for Winston considering that the Arizona Cardinal’s offensive line was like Swiss cheese. Orlando Franklin moved inside for the Denver Broncos due to injuries but he is better known for his play at right tackle. Both are the only free agent right tackles that scored positive reviews on pass blocking and are also good run blockers.

If Dotson didn’t perform admirably, then we have an issue. Of all of the free agents, only Marshall Newhouse, Michael Oher, and Doug Free have played at LT for more than a season. In all cases, they didn’t perform well.

Overall Pass Block Screen Block Run Block Penalty Sacks Hits Hurried Seasons
Demar Dotson 8.47 6.37 -0.17 3.43 -1.17 6.00 4.00 24.33
Anthony Collins 0.68 -1.18 0.25 1.75 -0.15 1.75 4.50 10.75
Orlando Franklin 10.43 5.15 0.25 5.60 -0.58 3.25 4.50 17.75 4
Eric Winston 5.70 0.60 -0.13 6.83 -1.60 6.25 5.00 26.50 4
Marshall Newhouse -18.57 -10.10 -0.50 -8.17 0.20 6.00 5.67 27.33 3
Michael Oher -10.70 -6.20 0.50 -4.02 -0.98 7.20 7.20 30.20 5
Doug Free 5.16 -2.06 0.20 8.62 -1.60 6.00 3.60 29.40 5

Guard

When Logan Mankins was traded for, we all sighed a relief that we didn’t have to start Oniel Cousins at left guard. Now it seems that his contract might be too big for fans to be comfortable about keeping around. I believe he is the solution to the left guard position for at least another season. At right guard, that is another story. Although Patrick Omameh was tossed into the starting position, he was not ready for it. He didn’t perform well and I expect us to upgrade the right guard position on our offensive line.

While taking a look at who would be a good fit at right guard, there weren’t a lot of good choices unless we moved someone over who usually plays left guard. While looking at ProFootballFocus Signature stats, they showed that our RG position was the only one that didn’t have a positive rating for running. With that said, I think we should go after Mike Iupati, Clint Boling, or Todd Herremans. As we all know, Mike Iupati has issues with pass blocking. So does Todd Herremans but worst. Clint Boling was the only one with positive outlooks across the board. But with most right sides of the offensive line, they don’t grade well and they are terrible at pass blocking. So moving from the left to right side might impact their grades more.

Overall Pass Block Screen Block Run Block Penalty Sacks Hits Hurried Seasons
Logan Mankins 19.83 2.05 1.94 16.85 -1.01 3.63 3.75 13.63
Patrick Omameh -10.80 -9.80 2.00 -3.30 0.30 5.00 6.00 25.00
Oniel Cousins -18.55 -14.30 0.50 -2.75 -2.00 2.50 4.00 20.00 2
Todd Herremans 4.02 -8.46 1.80 9.98 0.70 3.00 7.40 24.40 5
Mike Iupati 13.34 -3.14 0.20 16.04 0.24 3.40 4.40 17.00 5
Clint Boling 6.83 3.23 0.67 1.70 1.23 2.67 3.33 13.00 3

Center

I know a few people around BucsNation feel like we should also upgrade our center position and move Evan Dietrich-Smith over to right guard. I don’t see that as a possibility. With us possibly taking a Quarterback in the upcoming NFL Draft, we will need our center to take over some of the shifts and changes to the line. That way it will take some pressure off of our rookie Quarterback. With EDS already knowing the signals, it would work best if we kept him where he is, at starting center. For those of you who don’t believe that theory, let me go over the impending free agents for the center position.

I would just like to say this is the only position on the offensive line that has a lot of depth in free agency. Over half of the players graded out to be positive and for more than 2 seasons played. Any one of the top five would be a good choice at center.

Overall Pass Block Screen Block Run Block Penalty Sacks Hits Hurried Seasons
Evan Dietrich-Smith 7.30 0.80 0.50 7.05 -1.05 3.50 2.50 11.00
Chris Myers 20.16 -2.14 1.20 21.12 -0.02 1.20 3.00 14.80 5
Brian De La Puente 12.00 2.35 1.63 7.03 1.00 2.25 2.25 6.75 4
Rodney Hudson 8.70 3.20 2.25 2.70 0.55 3.50 2.00 7.00 2
Will Montgomery 8.68 1.24 0.60 7.54 -0.70 1.00 2.00 9.20 5
Stefen Wisniewski 3.50 0.53 0.50 2.58 -0.10 0.25 3.00 10.75 4

Defensive End

This offseason one of the Buccaneers biggest needs has to be at defensive end. We rarely got a good pass rush out of Adrian Clayborn and DaQuan Bowers. This past season Michael Johnson fought injuries to play. And to be honest, I think he will turn it around this season. Also, Jacquies Smith played well in a limited role as a pure pass rusher. The most important part of the Tampa 2 defense has always been the pass rush, so let’s see if there is any quality pass rushing players in free agency.

Looking at primarily pass rushing, Trent Cole, Brandon Graham, Derrick Morgan, and Greg Hardy all perform well as 4-3 defensive ends. Some of them had issues when their teams switched to a 3-4 defense but before then, they played well. Also due to their recent struggles, most of them would be cheap or would be able to be signed with a "prove it" deal.

Overall Rush Cover Run Pen. Sacks Hits Hurries BP Tks Assist Missed Stops Seasons
Adrian Clayborn -11.50 0.00 -0.25 -10.30 -0.95 7.00 10.50 31.50 0.00 33.00 12.00 12.50 28.50
Michael D. Johnson -2.15 -3.00 0.83 1.32 0.92 5.83 7.83 22.83 3.67 25.50 6.00 3.83 22.17
Da'Quan Bowers 5.68 0.13 1.08 3.92 0.55 7.17 8.33 27.50 3.67 28.67 6.00 3.50 26.33
Jacquies Smith 4.30 -3.60 -1.50 8.90 0.50 2.00 2.00 10.00 1.00 18.00 5.00 2.00 16.00
Trent Cole 20.66 19.52 -1.50 4.96 -2.32 8.20 13.60 35.80 1.00 37.00 6.20 5.20 34.40 5
Brandon Graham 16.03 14.50 -0.45 1.25 0.73 4.75 6.50 28.25 0.25 19.25 4.25 3.50 17.75 4
Derrick Morgan 6.38 9.88 1.43 -4.50 -0.43 6.50 12.25 33.00 2.50 32.00 10.00 3.25 29.50 4
Greg Hardy 10.15 10.35 1.63 -0.35 -1.48 8.25 13.50 31.25 2.25 31.75 6.25 4.50 30.75 4
Jabaal Sheard 2.23 2.13 -0.18 1.13 -0.85 6.00 4.00 30.00 2.25 32.75 8.50 6.25 30.25 4
George Selvie -5.60 -7.80 0.67 1.83 -0.30 4.33 6.67 17.33 0.33 20.33 5.67 5.00 19.33 3

A few people around BucsNation feel Jabaal Sheard and George Selvie would be good additions to the Bucs. First off, Jabaal Sheard regressed greatly from his first year to his second as a pass rushing defensive end. And although he didn’t show much as a 3-4 linebacker, he did reveal that he is better at run blocking rather than pass rushing. Considering he was the Cleveland Browns pass rushing specialist alongside Barkevious Mingo, that’s not promising. For the George Selvie crowd, he isn’t a pass rusher at all. His numbers coincide with William Gholston as a run stopper. Only in 2013 did he provide a pass rush for the Dallas Cowboys.

Defensive Tackle

With the addition of Clinton McDonald, our 2014 season turned out to be pretty good at defensive tackle. It wasn’t until Gerald McCoy wasn’t able to play the last two games did they fall apart. So if there is actually a need at defensive tackle, it would be at depth.

As we all know, Ndamukong Suh is the top defensive tackle in the draft. As a pure pass rusher, he blows every other defensive tackle out of the park. Second on the list would be Nick Fairley. As Suh’s teammate with the Detroit Lions, he provided a good run defense while also getting to the quarterback. For the next few, it depends on if you want a pass rusher or a run stopper. Henry Melton and Stephen Paea are best suited for getting after the quarterback. But to back up the nose tackle position, Vince Wilfork is the best option.

Overall Rush Cover Run Pen. Sacks Hits Hurries BP Tks Assist Missed Stops Seasons
Akeem Spence -22.45 -7.70 0.75 -13.50 -2.00 2.00 2.50 6.00 0.00 23.00 6.00 3.00 16.50
Clinton McDonald 0.05 2.60 0.75 -4.03 0.73 2.75 5.75 11.75 0.25 22.00 4.25 0.75 18.75
Gerald McCoy 26.83 29.70 0.75 0.10 -3.73 7.00 10.75 34.50 2.75 20.50 4.50 3.50 23.00
Ndamukong Suh 14.38 19.24 0.90 -1.42 -4.34 7.40 11.00 34.20 2.40 33.80 7.40 2.20 32.60 5
Nick Fairley 8.43 11.07 1.50 2.47 -6.60 4.33 8.33 19.67 0.67 17.67 3.67 1.33 18.33 3
Henry Melton 5.00 10.08 0.38 -5.88 0.43 5.75 5.25 19.00 1.50 14.75 3.25 1.75 16.75 4
Vince Wilfork 2.82 -3.48 1.40 4.88 0.02 2.00 2.20 13.00 1.60 29.20 5.80 3.40 26.40 5
Stephen Paea 0.40 4.30 0.25 -5.60 1.45 3.25 4.00 16.75 1.75 18.25 4.75 3.00 16.00 4
Jared Odrick 0.13 0.70 0.83 -1.00 -0.40 4.00 10.67 22.33 3.00 27.00 3.67 4.00 24.67 3

Middle Linebacker

As Mason Foster is an impending free agent, the Buccaneers need to look for a middle linebacker. He needs to be fast, agile, able to drop back into coverage, and defend the run. To put it bluntly, he needs to do everything to cover the middle of the field. While looking at prospects, there isn’t a lot of hope. Most free agents are coming from a 3-4 defense. A few like Akeem Dent have placed in a base 4-3 defense but not in the Tampa 2 defense. As choices are limited, Rolando McClain is the best choice. His ability to drop into coverage and play the run is what makes him the best. Another option is Akeem Dent. He played decent but has flaws in pass coverage.

Overall Rush Cover Run Pen. Tks Assist Missed Stops % Ct INT PD Seasons
Lavonte David 16.50 0.57 5.70 9.57 0.67 117.33 13.67 15.00 76.00 80.73 2.00 3.67
Danny Lansanah 3.60 -0.40 1.30 3.10 -0.40 62.00 10.00 9.00 36.00 80.00 3.00 2.00
Mason Foster -10.95 -0.9 -2.025 -8.975 0.95 64.75 16.75 11.25 34.25 76.9 1.25 1.25
Rolando McClain 8.75 1.15 -0.73 8.23 0.10 68.25 12.25 7.25 43.50 74.23 0.75 4.25 4.00
Joe Mays 2.00 -0.13 -2.30 4.80 -0.37 46.00 10.00 9.00 31.33 69.17 0.00 1.33 3.00
Akeem Dent -4.35 0.15 -3.25 -1.15 -0.10 43.50 9.50 5.50 22.00 89.75 1.00 2.00 2.00

Cornerback

With this past season burned in my mind, we have to good starting cornerbacks in Verner and Banks. After Jenkins, who just resigned with the Buccaneers, went down with an injury, out depth at the cornerback position fell apart. If we were spread out by other teams, it was easy pickings for them. Even though Jenkins is back, Lovie Smith believes that the slot cornerback position is a separate position. With the belief, we might be looking to upgrade that position over Leonard Johnson.

With that in mind, there are a few players that interest me. Each one has his strength and weaknesses but they all are strong in coverage. Due to his also strong play against the run, Charles Tillman would be a great asset. He was a strong outside cornerback with Lovie in Chicago and knows the defense as good as anyone. Another choice could be Tarrell Brown or Josh Wilson. Each plays the position well and might be valuable at the slot cornerback position.

Overall Rush Cover Run Pen. Tks Assist Missed Stops % Ct INT PD Seasons
Johnthan Banks -8.85 0.30 -7.90 -1.20 -0.05 42.50 5.50 14.00 12.50 66.55 3.50 3.00
Alterraun Verner 9.58 -0.16 5.46 3.18 1.10 62.00 7.80 7.60 21.20 61.60 2.60 8.40
Mike Jenkins -4.05 -0.30 -4.08 0.50 -0.18 38.75 2.25 6.50 10.25 63.13 1.00 5.75 4
Charles Tillman 9.83 -0.03 7.20 3.08 -0.43 69.50 6.25 6.00 19.25 61.23 3.75 6.50 4
Tarell Brown 3.28 -0.18 2.22 0.32 0.92 40.40 1.80 3.20 8.40 60.94 1.40 6.80 5
Josh Wilson 2.52 0.50 2.26 -1.12 0.88 48.60 6.00 9.40 14.00 59.92 1.80 7.40 5

Safety

After this past season, we have a conundrum at safety. We have Bradley McDougald and Dashon Goldson as our starters. Due to his contract, many expect Goldson to be released this offseason. After going over the free agents this offseason, only two would be worth the risk to sign. As we all know, Devin McCourty is one of them. He has a unique set of skills that makes him able to make plays. He also is a converted cornerback so he knows how to play coverage very well. The other player is Mike Adams from the Indianapolis Colts. Throughout his career he has been constantly good as a coverage safety.

Overall Rush Cover Run Pen. Tks Assist Missed Stops % Ct INT PD Seasons
Dashon Goldson -6.88 0.23 -5.53 -0.33 -1.25 62.00 10.67 13.00 15.67 62.37 2.50 2.67
Major Wright -6.13 -0.40 -4.00 -2.38 0.65 61.75 10.75 9.25 18.00 69.63 2.00 1.00
Devin McCourty 10.87 0.02 7.22 2.85 0.78 52.83 9.00 5.50 12.17 56.42 2.83 6.00 5
Mike C. Adams 4.80 0.10 3.88 0.10 0.73 61.50 11.50 6.50 14.75 61.60 2.25 3.75 4

web counter

Content provided by a member of Bucs Nation and does not necessarily reflect the view or opinions of Bucs Nation.